Public invited to attend Candidates Forum March 8

With the Rolla Municipal Election just around the corner, I’d like to extend an invitation to everyone in the community to attend the Rolla Candidates Forum on Monday, March 8 at the Rolla Public Schools Administration Building – Board Room located at 500A Forum Drive.

The Rolla Community Teachers Association (RCTA) Candidates Forum will begin at 4 p.m., followed by the Rolla Municipal Candidates Forum at 6 p.m. The Rolla Community Teachers Association (RCTA) and Rolla Channel 6 will host a Candidates Forum for candidates running in the Rolla Public School Board Election on April 6. For more information regarding this event, please contact Christopher Wright, President of the Rolla Community Teachers Association, at 458-0190, ext. 19133.

The Rolla Municipal Candidates forum, which will include candidates running for the Rolla Municipal General Election on April 6, will be moderated by Lee Buhr, Sports/Newscaster for Results Radio. The Rolla Municipal Candidates Forum will include introductions by each candidate, followed by questions from the audience, and then an opportunity for closing remarks. Only questions given from those attending the forum will be included in the discussions. The City believes that hosting the Candidates Forum is a reflection of open government that provides an opportunity for an exchange of ideas with the citizens and members of the Rolla community.

I would also like to remind everyone to vote during the Rolla Municipal Election on Tuesday, April 6. Polls will open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. For more information regarding polling locations and ward maps, please visit www.rollacity.org/wards/voter. You may also contact Carol Daniels in the City Clerk’s office at Rolla City Hall, 901 North Elm Street, at (573) 426-6942 or online at cdaniels@rollacity.org.

Looking ahead to the month of April, the Environmental Services Department will be hosting the annual City-wide Spring Clean-up on Saturday, April 3. If you wish to participate in this event, be sure to put your items out to the curb by 6 a.m.

Examples of items that will be accepted include: furniture, microwaves, televisions, old clothes, and household trash. Items that will not be accepted include: appliances, water heaters, yard waste, tires, or construction debris such as sheet rock, shingles, concrete or rock. Loose items should be placed in boxes or bags and small pieces of lumber should be bundled.

We ask that you do not place your roll-out container to the curb, because during this special spring clean-up it will not be emptied. If you have any questions, please call the Environmental Services Department at (573) 364-6693.

Speaking of the environment, the Environmental Services Department will once again be participating in the annual Rolla Earth Day Celebration on Thursday, April 22. The 9th Annual Rolla Earth Day Celebration will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. outside the Missouri S&T Havener Center. This year’s theme is “Be Green, Keep our Planet Clean.”

Rolla Earth Day Celebration is a free event that includes children’s activities, educational exhibits, live music, door prizes and more. For more information or to reserve your spot, please contact Julie Wilson at 341-4262 or wilsonjulie@mst.edu at your earliest opportunity.

City Talk - Looking back on 2008 as winning year for Rolla

As we turn the corner on 2008, and begin to consider the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, I would like to wish all of you a safe, memorable and prosperous New Year.

Unemployment figures and the overall state of the national economy aside, Rolla has finished 2008 in much better condition than many communities throughout Missouri and the nation. More importantly, though, we as a community continue to grow and prosper in some very visible areas throughout the city. The most dramatic changes are seen along Martin Springs Drive in the Blues Lake area where the new three-story 105,000-square-foot St. John’s Clinic is being constructed, along with other new businesses and the construction of St. John’s Parkway that is further solidifying Rolla’s stature as a major medical and health care provider for South Central Missouri. The dramatic development and growth of this area, which is benefiting from the construction of the new Southwest Treatment Plant located a few miles west on Martin Springs Drive Outer Road, should serve as a catalyst to attract other businesses such as retailers, restaurants and the like.

The dramatic transformation of the intersection at Ridgeview Road and State Road 63 and Highway 72 is another example of the growth and prosperity we have seen in 2008. The renovation and enhancement of several buildings on the east side of State Road 63 North, including the greatly expanded Kia dealership with I-44 frontage, has provided yet another magnet to attract motorists along I-44. Add to these very visible developments the positive headway that is being made on the Rolla West Master Plan, the new Innovation Tech. Park on the Missouri University of Science and Technology campus, continued improvements to the City’s 100-miles of streets and roads, and a total upgrade of the City’s stormwater and wastewater systems, and 2008 in retrospect was a winning year for Rolla.

When I begin thinking about 2008 as a winning year, it would be difficult not to reflect on the City’s successful début as a host city for the international cycling event, the Tour of Missouri, on September 11, 2008. For a city of our size to successfully host the Stage 4 Start of one of the premiere professional cycling events in the country, was truly a winning event on numerous fronts. The Rolla community benefited not only from a marketing and promotion perspective by achieving state, national and international recognition, but also from an economic perspective as thousands of tourism-related dollars were generated in hotel/motel bookings, restaurant sales, and untold grocery, fuel and retail sales. The Tour of Missouri helped to put Rolla and St. James, which hosted the Stage 5 finish on Sept. 12, on the global map. We are hopeful that with the recent bid application submitted to Medalist Sports by the Tour of Missouri Local Organizing Committee chaired by Scott Caron, the City’s Recreation Director, that Rolla will be selected again as a host city for either a stage finish or stage start.

And while it is too soon to predict just how much of an impact the global financial markets, the downturn in the housing market, and other leading economic indicators have had on Rolla, the City’s revenues from sales tax are up 2.27% after the first quarter of FY 09 (last 3 months of 2008). The City experienced a 1.8 % drop in sales tax overall in fiscal year 2008. The City’s Fiscal Advisory Committee, which met over a 6-month period in 2008, addressed several fiscal policy recommendations that were adopted by the City Council to help meet the financial challenges facing the City in the months and year’s to come.

Many positive opportunities and developments are on the horizon for our City of 18,000-plus, and the regional center of South Central Missouri, so let’s keep the momentum going into 2009.

In closing, I’d like to remind everyone that City Hall will also be closed Monday, Jan. 19 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday. The regular Rolla City Council Meeting scheduled for the third Monday of the month will be held Tuesday, Jan. 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Rolla City Hall (901 North Elm Street). Monday’s trash will be picked up Tuesday and Tuesday’s trash will be picked up Wednesday.

Wishing you again a safe and prosperous New Year!

Mayor Bill Jenks, III

City Talk - Holiday season kicks off with Rolla Christmas parade

If you haven’t made plans yet for this morning, be sure to put the Rolla Christmas Parade on your schedule for 10 a.m., (Saturday, Dec. 6) on Pine Street in downtown Rolla. In many ways it seems that after the Thanksgiving Day holiday, the Rolla Christmas Parade officially kicks off the holidays for many residents in the Rolla community.

Coordinated by the Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce, the Rolla Christmas Parade is in its 38th year, and promises to be one of the best parades ever. If you want to watch the parade again after seeing it live on Pine Street be sure to tune into Rolla Channel 6 (RC6), which will be filming the parade in its entirety.

After the parade you will also want to attend the 14th Annual Christmas at the Historic Old Courthouse located at Third and Rolla Streets across from the Dillon Log Cabin. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with historic tours of the 1860 Courthouse and 1838 Dillon Log Cabin Museum, Christmas gifts, and live entertainment in the Municipal Court Room on the second floor of the Old Courthouse. Families are also encouraged to visit and have your pictures taken with Santa and Mrs. Claus and visit the Kid’s Corner to make paper ornaments. Free holiday refreshments will also be available for everyone to enjoy.

The entertainment begins at 11:30 a.m. with “Sometimes Tuesday” Mountain Dulcimer Group followed by the Mark Twain 4th Grade Steamboat Choir at 12-noon and Rolla Community Children’s Choir at 12:30 p.m., Rolla Jr. High Choir at 1 p.m. and Rolla Sr. High Choir at 1:30 p.m. There will also be an antique clothing display and historic military display open to the public in the Old Courthouse.

While you are at the parade stop by the Bandshell in the City’s Downtown Festival Park off 9th Street where members of the City’s Public Works Department recently set up and decorated a 20-foot-tall Christmas Tree. Rolla City Hall is also decorated with lights, wreaths and a large Christmas tree in the lobby, all thanks to our Public Works and Administration Departments. The Frisco Caboose will be decorated and lighted for the holidays as well, which is only fitting when you consider that our town’s history and development was due in large part to the railroad.

Beginning next Friday, Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. through Dec. 21 be sure to attend the Christmas in the Park dazzling light display in Lions Club Park located on Hwy. 63 South across from G & D Steakhouse. The event is free, but donations are welcomed. Christmas in the Park will be open 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Saturday. For more information regarding this fun event, please call Rolla Lioness Club member Jaci Huebner at 578-9090.

There are of course numerous other holiday events, festivities and gatherings planned throughout the month of December, but I thought I would just hit some of the highlights you don’t want to miss. For a comprehensive listing of events and happenings, please visit the City’s Website at www.rollacity.org/events, and tune into the community calendar on Rolla Channel 6.

City Talk - City unanimously supports Tour of Missouri bid in 2009

It seems like just yesterday that 120 of the most talented professional cyclists in the world, who competed in the 2008 Tour of Missouri, crossed the finish line on 10th Street in front of the Castelman Hall Performing Arts Center.

Being part of the Tour of Missouri Stage 4 Finish on Sept. 11, 2008 in Rolla was not only an exhilarating experience, but also a major milestone for a City of our size in South Central Missouri. The partnerships that were forged before, during and after the international event with Missouri University of Science and Technology, the City of St. James, Medalist Sports, KOM, and the event’s area sponsors such as Brewer Science, Inc., Phelps County Bank, Phelps County Regional Medical Center, to name just a few, demonstrated how collaboration and teamwork is essential when hosting an event of this magnitude.

Many Rolla residents who attended the Tour of Missouri Stage 4 finish in Rolla and Stage 5 Start in St. James on Sept. 12 may be curious to know just how much of an impact the TOM had on the City of Rolla, and fortunately I have been provided with those statistics and figures from Scott Caron, Director of the Recreation Center and Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee for the Tour of Missouri.

Scott recently made a presentation to the Rolla City Council during our last Council meeting that outlines the many benefits and rewards the City received by participating and hosting Stage 4 of the event.

The international exposure and recognition Rolla received on television networks, Websites and newspapers from over 80 countries was staggering. In addition, numerous state-wide television and radio coverage, magazines, and newspapers, including great coverage by the Rolla Daily News, helped put Rolla on the map in a way that has not been done very often in the history of our city. Rolla’s sales tax and motel sales tax both had significant spikes during the month of September when more than 12,000 individuals came out to watch and show their support for the Stage 4 Finish in Rolla and Stage 5 Start in St. James. Most of the motels and hotels in Rolla were booked to capacity on Sept. 11 and many of the area restaurants reported record sales the day and evening the Tour of Missouri was held in Rolla. Other positive benefits the Rolla community receive from the Tour of Missouri include an increased awareness of the importance of health and wellness, a better understanding of the various countries represented in the race, and the overall community pride that comes from the team work and collaboration generated through an event of this stature and size.

My wholehearted support continues to be behind the members of Rolla’s Local Organizing Committee as they once again submit an application bid to be considered as a host city for next year’s Tour of Missouri scheduled for Sept. 7 through Sept. 13, 2009.

In closing I would like to wish everyone a happy, safe and memorable Thanksgiving weekend. Our next City Council meeting will be held Monday, Dec. 1 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall (located at 901 North Elm Street). If you can’t attend the meeting, be sure to tune into Rolla Channel 6 (RC6) at 6:30 p.m. The Council meeting will be broadcast live and rebroadcasted throughout the week.

City Talk - Growing the economy top priority for City Council

Among the many topics discussed at the 8-hour-long City Council retreat Nov. 13 at City Hall were the financial challenges facing not only the country, but the Rolla community in the months and years ahead.

The City’s 2009 complete budget document can be viewed on the City’s Website at www.rollacity.org/admin.budget.shtm. A hard copy of the budget document is also available at City Hall located at 901 North Elm Street.

To help eliminate some of the misconceptions that sometimes arise regarding the 7.6% sales tax in Rolla, I thought it would be helpful to explain how the City’s sales tax is distributed among the various taxing jurisdictions.

Many individuals think all of Rolla’s 7.6 cent sales tax is received by the City of Rolla, but in reality the City receives 2.5 cents. Of the 2.5 cents received 1 cent goes to the City’s General Fund (about $9.5 million for seven of the City’s departments); 1/2 cent is ear-marked for transportation (street improvements); 1/2 cent for capitol Improvements (city infrastructure), and 1/2 cent for parks and recreation. The remaining 5.1 cents is allocated this way: the State of Missouri receives 4.225 cents, and Phelps County receives .875 cents. The average overall sales tax for Missouri cities comparable to Rolla is 7-8%, with several cities with sales tax rates approaching 9%.

The City’s Solid Waste Department, which includes the Recycling Center and Sanitation (waste collection), and the Sewer Department are considered enterprise funds, which are self-sufficient departments that generate revenues through user fees. The Centre, Rolla’s 63,000-square-foot Health and Recreation complex, is funded by membership, user and program fees, and a 1/2 cent sales tax passed by voters in 1998. The tax funding The Centre sunsets in 2013. The Street fund is also maintained in its own fund to track program expenses and the transportation sales tax and capital improvement sales tax, along with the motor fuel (gas) tax.

Another question many residents may have regarding the City budget is how we plan to generate more revenue or sustain the revenues we have to meet the ongoing expenses generated through inflation and increased city services/manpower (i.e., public safety and public works).

There are many options available to address this dilemma, including cutting services, raising taxes and growing the economy. The strategy the City continues to pursue is to grow the economy so that new businesses, industry and economic development generate employment opportunities and thus fuel the economy in a way that benefits everyone. The tactics that the City employs to grow the economy are to encourage businesses, developers and real estate owners to invest and relocate to the Rolla/Phelps County area. The City regularly partners and works collaboratively with organizations, businesses and institutions such as the Rolla Regional Economic Commission (RREC), Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce, Meramec Regional Planning Commission, Rolla Community Development Corporation, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Phelps County, Rolla Public Schools, area health care providers, and many others to achieve this end.

The most recent and visible example of how the City has worked to grow the economy is the new Walgreens store being constructed at the intersection of State Hwy. 63 and Ridgeview Road. This multi-faceted, multi-phase project dramatically improved not only the appearance of this highly visible and key intersection, but also greatly enhanced the safety, slope and access along Ridgeview Road.

The City is also partnering with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) on other transportation projects such as the proposed Ridgeview Road extension to Bridge School Road, a new traffic light and entrance at the corner of Kingshighway and Fairgrounds road that will ease traffic congestion on Kingshigway and provide a entrance to the new Innovation Tech Park being developed by Missouri S&T.

By continually sending out the message that Rolla is a progressive City where the quality of life is high, the education is top-notch and cutting-edge technology, research and high-tech industry is abundant, we also seek to initiate developer-driven projects such as Rolla West. The recently completed master plan for Rolla West by HNTB is the type of tool the City and Rolla Regional Economic Commission can use to attract new businesses and industry that will help diversify and strengthen our City’s retail offerings, provide more jobs, generate more sales tax, and ultimately grow our economy. The development of Rolla West will help enhance and solidify the City’s stature as the regional hub for South Central Missouri.

In closing I would like to wish everyone a happy, safe and memorable Thanksgiving. In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, City Hall will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 27 and Friday, Nov. 28. The Centre (1200 North Holloway, Street), will also be closed Thanksgiving Day, and will be open the day after Thanksgiving from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, please call (573) 341-2386.

The Solid Waste Department will be picking up Thursday’s trash on Wednesday. For more information regarding trash pick-up, yard waste, recycling or the City’s new Household Hazardous Waste Facility, please call (573) 364-6693.

City Talk - City offers choices for pick-up of bagged leaves through Dec. 13

Along with all the beauty that comes with autumn in the Ozarks – and we sure are getting our share of it this year - lots of leaves also come with the fall foliage.

Fortunately for Rolla residents who are contemplating how to dispose of their leaves, the city offers a couple of alternatives to help make your leaf disposal efforts a little more convenient.

If you like to get outside, and grab a rake, the City of Rolla’s Solid Waste Department will continue to offer the pick-up of bagged leaves through Dec. 13, 2008. To receive this service, the leaves must be placed in brown paper biodegradable yard waste bags, which can be purchased at many stores in the area. We also ask that you place your bags to the curb by 6 a.m. so our equipment operators can pick them up on your normal collection day.

Please be aware that this service will be suspended from Dec. 13, 2008 through March 1, 2009. Collection of yard waste (leaves, grass, clippings and small sticks) in brown paper bags will resume on Monday, March 2, 2009. Residents wishing to dispose of these materials during the winter suspension can use the composting facility located at the Phelps County Transfer Station, or arrange for a special pick up for a fee. For more information please call the Solid Waste Department at (573) 364-6693.

Rolla residents can also get their leaves picked up by the Parks and Recreation Department Monday through Friday for a nominal fee through Dec. 15, 2008 (leaves will not be picked up after noon Friday or during weekends and holidays). We just ask that you rake or haul all leaves to the curbside along city streets.

No private driveways or private areas will be entered by City vehicles. Per City Ordinance no leaves can be placed in the streets, gutters or ditches. Leaves will be picked up by a large vacuum and deposited into a large dump body and trailer and then taken to the Phelps County Composting Site to be recycled.

New users of this service must pay a $120 refundable deposit or leave a credit card number. The fee is $40 per half hour with the minimum charge of $40, and all fees must be paid within two weeks of the service being completed. Credit card payments (Visa, Master Card & Discover) are preferred. If you wish to use this service, or to get more information, please contact the Parks and Recreation Department at (573) 364-4278.

Rolla residents who have household hazardous waste materials such as car batteries, used oil or antifreeze, or other toxic, poisonous or flammable products may dispose of them at the City’s new Household Hazardous Waste Facility. The facility is operated by the City’s Solid Waste Department at the Rolla Recycling Center located off Old St. James Road.

Use of the facility is encouraged by all Rolla residents, however, this is strictly a residential service; business and commercial waste is prohibited. If you are interested in using the facility, we simply ask that you make an appointment by calling the Rolla Recycling Center during normal business hours at (573) 364-6693.

Beliveries will be accepted by appointment only. For a complete list of items that will be acceptable to drop off at the facility, please contact the Solid Waste Department at (573) 364-6693 or visit the City’s Website at www.rollacity.org/waste.

The new Household Hazardous Waste facility is open to residents in the Rolla/Phelps County community as well as the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District (Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski, and Washington counties). There is also a new HHW facility located in the City of St. Robert in Pulaski County.

This service will be more convenient, accessible, and safer for the public and employees alike, and reflects the City of Rolla’s commitment of “going green.”

City Talk - RC6 is Rolla’s new premiere education and government cable channel

We sure had an exciting, exhilarating and memorable week when the Tour of Missouri Stage 4 and Stage 5 races made history in Rolla (Sept. 11) and St. James (Sept. 12). It’s not every day that you see the City of Rolla’s name in the headline of articles all over the Internet from countries such as England, Australia, France, and a dozen other countries around the globe. And the timing couldn’t have been better for Rolla Channel 6 (RC6), Rolla’s new Education and Government channel, to capture on film this international sporting event.

In case you were not aware, Gabe Mankin, Video Production Manager for RC6, was very busy filming and capturing video from the Tour of Missouri Stage 4 Finish throughout Rolla’s downtown area. Historic events like these deserve to be filmed, recorded and replayed, and RC6 was among the many other state and national media outlets who were clamoring for position to video and photograph the Tour of Missouri Stage 4 finish in front of the Castleman Hall Performing Arts Center on the Missouri S&T campus.

Many exciting and wonderful events like the Tour of Missouri can bring state, national and international attention to the Rolla community, and having an Education and Government cable channel such as RC6 capture and broadcast these events is, I think you’ll agree, a wonderful addition to our community. The promotional video clip for the Tour of Missouri had been airing on RC6 for weeks prior to the race on Sept. 11, and created additional excitement and anticipation for the event that brought more than 18,000 spectators to the Stage 4 race finish in Rolla and 12,000 spectators to the Stage 5 start in St. James, for a total of more than 30,000 spectators in both TOM host cities.

Rolla Channel 6 will begin airing Rolla City Council meetings on a regular basis beginning Monday, Oct. 6 at 6:30 p.m. In addition to airing the City Council meetings live the first and third Monday of the month, RC6 also will re-air City Council meetings several times throughout the week. City Planning & Zoning (P&Z) meetings are scheduled to begin airing on Tuesday, October 14 at 5:30 p.m. with additional City meetings planned for the coming months.

Rolla Public Schools (RPS) board meetings also will be aired live on RC6. These meetings will re-air throughout the week as well. Rolla High School Friday night football games will air the Sunday following the game at 6 p.m. RC6 will re-air the games frequently throughout the following week or weeks depending on the home schedule. The schedule for all programs will be posted on the RC6 program guide.

Other pre-produced programs currently airing on RC6 include: Missouri Outdoors, After the Storm, Army Newswatch, Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Services (CSREES) Partners Video Magazine, NASA Science Files, World Energy Television, PlaySports TV, Perils for Pedestrians, Road to Recovery and Friends in Discovery.

For more information regarding programming or DVD duplication of Rolla City Council and Rolla Public Schools board meetings, and RHS sporting events, please contact Gabe Mankin, RC6 Video Production Manager, at (573) 426-3377 or at Gabe.Mankin@fidelitycommunications.com.

RC6 is a jointly funded education and government cable channel provided by the City of Rolla, Rolla Public Schools, and Fidelity Cablevision. The mission of RC6 is to enhance the City of Rolla’s and Rolla Public Schools’ public information and communication systems, involve the community in local government and Rolla Public School decision-making, and provide useful information to the public.

City Talk - Rolla West Master Plan sets framework for City's Future

Rolla West Master Plan sets framework for City's future

Planning and preparation are known to be key ingredients for the successful outcome of any worthwhile venture, whether it is a short- or long-term endeavor. That said, planning to enhance our City's future, our children's future and the future of Rolla is something our City staff and the City Council continues to embrace as one its highest and most important priorities. So it was encouraging during Monday's City Council meeting (Sept. 2) when the Final Draft of the Rolla West Master Plan was presented by Brian Comer, an architect and consultant with HNTB.

After a great deal of study, research, deliberation, and public input from open public discussions, a three-day series of Rolla West Community Visioning workshops, a public open house, and a Web log on the City of Rolla's Website (www.rollacity.org), the Final Draft of the Rolla West Master Plan was completed.

The purpose of the Rolla West Master Plan, as stated in the Final Draft presented by HNTB, is to "outline a long-term comprehensive vision for land use, transportation and infrastructure within the Rolla West area."

Having a road map or a framework that our City and community can build our future on, is something that the Rolla West Master Plan provides. It is also a document that land owners, real estate companies and developers can refer to when discussing the Rolla West concept to businesses, investors and others who may be interested in starting a business or locating in the Rolla West area.

Among the plan objectives in the Rolla West Master Plan is a stated objective of coordinating planning efforts with Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T), including the new E3 Campus and Technology Park. By broadening the scope of the Rolla West area to include the E3 Campus and Technology Park, the plan takes into consideration the considerable and important impact these projects will have on our community in the years to come.

Among the goal statements that were identified during the Community Visioning Workshop and included in the Rolla West Master Plan were the following:

1. Serve as a major catalyst in solidifying the City of Rolla as the center of commerce, education and health care for South Central Missouri.
2. Provide a balanced mix of uses that meets the needs of Rolla and the region.
3. Identify new development that will pay its' share of the costs of City infrastructure, transportation improvements and services that are necessary to serve the area.
4. Promote environmentally sensitive development that harmoniously blends within the natural character and scenic quality of the area.
5. Encourage quality development that will provide a positive first and last impression.

Among the priorities identified as necessary in the development of Rolla West, and as stated in the Master Plan are the following:

1. Highway 72 Ridgeview Road extension to Bridge School Road
2. A fifth interchange
3. Kingshighway interchange improvement

If you haven't had a chance to review the Final Draft of the Rolla West Master Plan, I encourage you to visit http://www.rollacity.org/rollawest and look over the document. It consists of 47 pages of very useful data, diagrams, tables, drawings, and photos. Hard copies of the Rolla West Master Plan also are available in the Public Works Department at Rolla City Hall (901 North Elm Street).

The Rolla West Master Plan will be presented to the Rolla City Council for adoption and inclusion in the City's Comprehensive Plan sometime in the near future.

In closing I invite and encourage the entire community to attend the Tour of Missouri Stage 4 Finish in Rolla on Thursday, Sept. 11 (between 2:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.) and Stage 5 Start in St. James Sept. 12 at 2 p.m. A detailed description of the Tour of Missouri route along with a complete listing of events planned on Sept. 11 in Rolla can be viewed on the City's Website at www.rollacity.org (just click on the orange TOM tab at the top of the homepage). Please also remember that on Thursday, September 11, it would be wonderful if everyone (businesses, civic organizations and residents alike) would make an extra effort to display an American flag.

I'd like to also remind everyone to please not park on any of the streets that are included in the Tour of Missouri route that will be going through Rolla on Sept. 11 between the hours of 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. There will be "No Parking" signs posted along the TOM route the evening of Sept. 10, but I would still like to spread the word that we will need to keep the streets clear of vehicles prior to and during the race. Your cooperation concerning this important safety matter is greatly appreciated. The race will enter Rolla on Martin Springs Drive, continue on Blues Lake Parkway, Bridgeschool Road, Kingshighway, Fairgrounds Road, 10th Street, State Street, 8th Street, along Pine Street to 6th, Olive, Bardsley, 12th, Holloway, 10th and back to State Street for three figure 8 loops. The finish line will be on 10th Street in front of Castelman Hall Performing Arts Center.

See you on September 11 for the Tour of Missouri. I hope you'll be there!